The Portal
by justanotherfangirl0509
Summary: Hermione thought she was going to have a peaceful life working in the Department of Mysteries. Unfortunately, the portal changed everything.
1. Falling

1. Falling

_I looked at you like the stars that shine_  
_In the sky_  
"Mary's Song" by Taylor Swift

"Miss Granger, are you sure you'll be fine with working late tonight?" Mr. Jaeden asked me politely. "You really don't need to stay."

I smiled at my boss. "Relax! I just want to get a look at the archway alone, you know what I mean? I feel a sort of connection to it that I want to explore."

Mr. Jaeden crossed his arms. "Almost everyone who's felt a connection to the archway and gone near it alone has disappeared."

"I'm not stupid. I know the limits: no touching the curtain or trying to move it aside. I won't stay long, I promise."

"Well, if anything happens, Apparate out of there as quickly as you can, you understand?"

"All right," I insisted. "Have a nice evening."

"You as well." Mr. Jaeden pointed his wand at his desk. Several items floated into his suitcase and it followed him out the door.

I looked around. I was standing in the stone central room of the Department of Mysteries. Doors all around me that had once been unmarked now held labels that I could see. It was one of the perks of being an Unspeakable, along with the excellent pay.

I turned to the door that I wanted. The label read: ARCHWAY. I turned the knob and stepped inside. I walked down the set of stairs to the stone arch that stood in the middle of the room, a thin curtain rustling within it as though a breeze blew through it – but the air in the room was perfectly still.

I tentatively stood a couple feet away from the curtain, facing it. I still remembered the rules in place, but I felt no need to follow them at the moment. I pulled out my wand and waved it over the curtain, which was pulled to the side by magic.

I stared at it, shocked. At first, it was a blinding flash of white light, but I could see, as though through water, a lake in the middle of the forest. I could not see beyond the edges of the trees, and the scene faded to white at the edges. I could feel a breeze blowing me now.

Was this some sort of portal to another world?

I let the curtain fall. The room dimmed, and the breeze disappeared. Still tranfixed, I raised one hand so my fingertips were inches away from the curtain. Should I touch it? Someone had to eventually, right? I brushed my fingertips against the fabric. It felt no different from the air around it, and I realized that my fingers had passed right through the fabric. I slowly pushed my shaking hand forward through the tattered curtain When it seemed to be cut off at the wrist, I felt a strong wind whip around robes flew all around, making me glad that I wore jeans and a long sleeved shirt hair obscured my vision, but it felt as though I was falling forward.

Suddenly, the wind changed: it seemed to be blowing right towards me. I opened my eyes and screamed. I was falling right into the lake that I had seen! Never one to lose my head (completely) in a crisis, I pulled out my wand and gasped, "Arresto Momento!"

I felt my fall slowing, until I hovered inches above the water. I directed myself to the shore and stood on the ground, glad that my feet were on a solid surface.

I glanced around me. The lake was beautiful, crystalline waters reflecting the clear blue sky above. The woods around me were wild and beautiful, with tall, strong trees hung with vines and mosses, and thick undergrowth blocking any entrance to the woods. I stood on a small beachy area.

"Where am I?" I wondered aloud.

To my surprise, a voice answered, "Mirkwood, near the realm of the Woodland Elves. And from where do you come, stranger?" The voice was a man's, but sounded strangely musical, and seemed as though he did not always speak English. (When I heard 'the Woodland Elves,' I had a sudden vision of a whole bunch of house-elves living in the middle of the woods.)

I pulled out my wand and pointed it all around me. "Show – show yourself!"

"Who are you?"

"Who are you?" Not exactly my most witty retort, but I just wanted to see whoever was speaking.

I heard rustling in the leaves behind me. I spun around, and saw the figure of a man silhouetted against the forest. He was dressed in brown and green, meant to blend in, but his attire was strange. He seemed to be wearing some sort of tunic with a long-sleeved shirt and leggings underneath, and tall brown boots. His blond hair lay smoothly on his shoulders. He looked to be lithe and graceful as a panther, and his face – honestly, I'd hardly ever seen anyone as attractive as him. His features were pointed and expressionless, but he seemed much more dangerous as he was aiming a bow right at me. I was reminded a bit of Lucius Malfoy, but this man seemed less … evil, somehow, and he didn't look young or old, simply timeless. Oh, and his eyes were a keen, bright blue, and his ears tapered to points at the ends.

"I asked, who are you?" he repeated.

I steadied my wand, pointing it at his heart. "Answer me first. Who are you?"

"I am called Legolas Greenleaf. What is your name?"

"Hermione Granger."

"Where do you come from?"

"Um, the Ministry of Magic."

"What?'

I tried again. "London?"

He shook his head. "I have not heard of this 'London.'"

"How about Britain? Europe? You must have heard of them."

"Are you mad? Now you are just telling me nonsense. You wish to confuse me."

I raised my eyebrows. "Oh, then what exactly is Mirkwood, or the realm of the Woodland Elves?"

"Mirkwood is the forest you stand in," he answered as though this was perfectly obvious, "and the realm of the Woodland Elves is nearby, where I come from."

"Wait, you're an elf?"

At this, he laughed. "What else would I be, a dwarf?"

"It's just..." I decided not to try and explain house-elves to him. He might get offended, and I didn't feel like getting into a duel with him. I didn't want to have too much of an advantage. "Nothing. So, I'm guessing you don't know the way back to London?"

"I've never heard of the place. And if you don't mind my asking, why are you pointing a stick at me?"

He sure didn't need to know that I could curse him at any second – that could possibly be my only advantage here. "Oh, um, I don't have any other weapon, so I just kind of figured that it was better than nothing. Look, forget that. I just want to know where I am." I put my wand away.

Legolas sighed. "And I just want to know what you are wearing."

I looked down at myself. My robes had blown into the lake, and my jeans and shirt probably weren't the custom in Mirkwood, whatever that was. "I could ask you the same."

"What are you talking about? These are normal clothes."

I snorted. "I guess your normal is pretty different from my normal, because you look kind of like some psycho who thinks it's cool to look like you just jumped out of a bad video game."

He tilted his head to one side, making him look like one of those guys who's kind of an idiot but looks hot to make up for it. "I do not understand. Psycho? Video game?"

"It's nothing. Look, where am I? Are you going to explain this or not?"

"Mirkwood is a part of Middle-Earth, if that helps you."

"That means absolutely nothing to me. Look, can you try to explain this a little better to me?"

Legolas crossed his arms. "Do you intend to leave this part of Mirkwood immediately, or would you like me to take you to my father? He will know what to do with you."

"Who's your father, the town drunk? Because that's all you seem to be."

The forest around me began to shift, and I realized that Legolas wasn't the only elf nearby. Others stepped out from behind trees, arrows pointed right at me. Legolas didn't prepare to shoot, but poised himself as if to run or attack at any second.

I wanted to pull my wand out, but I wasn't sure if I could curse all of them at once anyway. I'd hardly practiced fighting since the war fifteen years ago. Instead, I just said, "I'm sorry, okay? I don't know anything about what's going on here. Please don't shoot me."

The elf on the far left glared at me. "Legolas's father is Thranduil, the king of the Wood-elves, lord of Mirkwood. Do not speak of him so disrespectfully again."

I stared at Legolas again. He was a prince? Honestly, that didn't surprise me as much as it probably should have. He certainly had the looks of Prince Charming, only with, like, fabulous hair. "Um, sorry." I looked down at the ground. "Please don't shoot me."

The elves lowered their bows, and Legolas cut in. "There was no way you could have known," he reassured me in a much kinder tone than I had expected. "But you cannot be allowed to roam our lands freely after such an offense."

Another of the elves spoke up. "Take her to Thranduil. Let him pass judgement."

The rest of them murmured in assent.

Legolas looked as if he wanted to protest, but instead he just resigned himself to say, "She will be taken to the king."

Almost instantly, the elves fell into a sort of formation around me, like they were either trying to protect me or keep me prisoner. I suspected that the latter was truer. Legolas turned his back and led the way. I shuffled along behind them as we wove our way among the trees of Mirkwood. I still had yet to learn what this place really was.

Also, I wondered about this Thranduil. Why did the other elves speak of him with a sort of mixture of reverence and fear? Surely he couldn't be that bad.

After a little while, I was led to a thin bridge spanning a large gap in the ground, under which a river ran. Across from the bridge was a large stone building much like a castle, with a tall set of doors set in the wall. The elves shifted their formation so we could cross in single file.

When we were almost across the bridge, Legolas stepped forward and said something to the guard standing there, and the doors opened.

Beyond them was a thin, high path that looked to be made of a single massive tree branch. It led to a large circular platform that contained a staircase leading up, and a throne with a man – actually, it was probably an elf – lounging on it. All around were strange twisting pathways and rooms, and the floor was far below.

I was marched in and led directly to the platform with the throne. The elves shifted their formation again so they stood in a U-shape behind me. I faced the throne. On it was an elf wearing a crown of tree branches. He had long, fair hair, and while his face was handsome, it also looked cruel and far away. He wore rich clothing not unlike dress robes, but more kingly.

"What have we here?" he asked in a tone of amusement. "A new toy?"

I stiffened at the phrase, but didn't speak.

Legolas stepped forward and bowed. "Father, this woman was found beside the lake. She was lost and said that she had never heard of Mirkwood or Middle-Earth before. She refused to leave our lands, so we brought her here."

So this guy was Thranduil, the king of whatever this place was. I could kind of see his resemblance to Legolas.

"Then she is not from anywhere nearby. Why did you not shoot her? It would be the wiser decision."

"I saw no reason to," Legolas answered simply. "I do not take the lives of mortals as lightly as I once did."

Thranduil raised his eyebrows. "Does she have a name?"

I stepped forward. "I'm Hermione Granger."

"Oh, she can speak!" He stood up.

"What are you going to do with me?" I asked, annoyed.

"How did you arrive in the wood?" Thranduil asked.

"I fell from the sky, onto the beach next to the lake."

My eyes met Legolas's for a second, and I knew that he had seen me levitate myself to land. He knew that I was lying.

"Interesting. And where were you before you fell from the sky?"

"I was standing in front of an old stone archway. When I stepped through, I was falling."

So Legolas wasn't going to correct my story.

Thranduil turned his (mildly creepy) gaze to Legolas and asked, "Is this true? Did you see her fall onto the beach?"

"She tells the truth, as far as I know it."

Thranduil turned around and thought for a moment. "Very well. Legolas, take her to a prison cell."

My mouth fell open. "What? Why?"

"I do not trust you, and I do not believe that you are telling me your full story. You will wait there until you explain things further."

I wanted to protest, but Legolas grabbed my arm roughly and dragged me down a twisting path.


	2. Inescapable

2. Inescapable

This can't be happening to me  
This is just a dream  
"Just A Dream" by Carrie Underwood

"What's going on?" I demanded. "Why is he like that?"

"My father is arrogant and unjust, but he is still my king. His word is law."

"Can't you just refuse to do what he says?"

"Only if I wish to be executed."

"He's your father! He wouldn't just have you killed."

Legolas laughed bitterly. "I wish. Thranduil has no love, no compassion. I am but another of his subjects, just a bit higher in the rankings than most."

I was shoved into a small stone cell, and Legolas slammed the iron-barred door and locked it.

"Why didn't you say something when I lied?"

"I didn't think that little part of your tale was important."

I raised my eyebrows. "Surely elves don't normally slow their falls and float in thin air often?"

"Of course we don't, but we do have some sorts of magic. What you did was not unheard of in Middle-earth. I just want to know – what are you? I can tell you're not an elf, and you're certainly not a wizard, dwarf, hobbit, orc, goblin, Ent, or wraith. I would think that you were born of the race of Men, but Men have no magic."

"You were a little closer on the wizard guess. I'm a witch – really nothing more than a female wizard. Where I come from, there are lots of witches and wizards. We all have magic within us, but we have to channel it through our wands."

"So you weren't merely pointing a stick at me earlier?"

I laughed. "No, that wasn't it."

Suddenly, Legolas stiffened and glanced around. "I should go," he said. "Speaking with prisoners is frowned upon here. Last time a … friendship developed between a prisoner and a guard, both of them were later killed." And on that happy note, he turned and walked away.

I sunk down to the floor of my cell, leaning against the wall. Legolas was probably one of the most confusing people – sorry, elves – I'd ever met. I wasn't sure if I could trust him or not.

But my arm was still tingling where he'd grabbed me.

I grasped the bars of the cell door and rattled them in frustration, but they wouldn't budge. I'd tried Apparating out of there, but it wouldn't work – maybe the fact that I'd passed into some sort of alternate dimension was messing with it. None of the spells I'd tried had worked on the bars or the walls of the tiny room, no matter how much I'd focused. I didn't get it. I'd never had much trouble with magic before, but even the Lumos I'd used to keep it from getting too dark had seemed weaker than ever before. This was just so frustrating.

I looked out of the cage. All I could see around it was a thin, winding stone path leading to other cells, but in the ones I could see, there were no occupants. Between the walls of cells, there was a dark chasm that I couldn't see the bottom of from the angle I was at. Far above me, the walls began to glow, but I couldn't see the source. I heard faint laughter and talking not too far from me, but I was unclear where the source was.

Long story short, I was stuck, confused, and alone.

I sighed and stepped back a few feet until my back hit the far wall. I'd done plenty of whining and crying, but none of the guards who paced by every few minutes had acknowledged that I was even making a sound.

I was just so frustrated. My magic was barely working, and I couldn't use it to get out of this tiny, dusty cell. Even the tiniest attempts had left me feeling drained. All I wanted to do was sleep.

I pulled my wand out one more time and pointed it at the floor. I focused for a moment, imagining a massive bed piled with pillows and blankets. All I could muster was a little cot and a thin blanket.

I sighed and curled up on it, pulling the blanket close around me. If anything could get me out of here, sleep could.

Of course, the dreams still came.

I was sitting in the living room of the Burrow. The cozy room around me was much nicer than it had ever seemed before – partly because all the Weasley kids were grown up and making money, partly because anyplace with heat and light was glorious compared to my dingy cell.

Sitting across from me was Ginny. "Hermione! Are you getting this? Can you respond?" she asked frantically.

I was bewildered for a moment. "Yes, why?"

Ginny breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank Merlin! I was trying to contact you for hours, but you wouldn't go to sleep! I couldn't send you a wand-message either. Do you have any idea why?"

"I'm having some trouble with magic – as in, it barely works. I guess I couldn't receive your note. Why?"

"Oh, everyone's just worried sick! You know, you usually meet me for dinner someplace, but you didn't show up. I wasn't too worried at first, 'cause you work late a lot, you know, so I just headed to our flat, and then your boss showed up! He asked me if I knew where you were, and I said no. Then he told me that you were in the room with that creepy archway and you'd disappeared, and of course I thought of Sirius, so I Floo'ed back to the Burrow to ask about it, and I even called your parents' place, and no one knew where you were! Oh, everyone's just been panicking. Don't ever do that again! Where are you now, anyway?"

Ginny had a bit of a tendency to ramble when her emotions were high.

"Actually, I'm in a prison cell."

"What? You're in Azkaban?! What did you do? What happened?"

"No, not Azkaban! I don't actually know where it is – in some forest called Mirkwood, in this palace where a bunch of elves are ruled by this extra-creepy elf. A different elf told me it was in someplace called Middle-earth. I think it might be in an alternate dimension or something."

"Wait – an alternate dimension of house-elves, ruled by Kreacher?" Ginny looked skeptical.

I laughed. "Not house-elves! They're a lot like normal people, only they're all really skinny and dress like they're extras in Robin Hood, and they all have this long, shiny hair and pointy ears, and they carry bows and arrows."

"That makes a little bit more sense … but still not much. But that 's not the point! How did you get there?"

"Long story short, I stuck my hand into the portal and then I was falling from the sky into this lake in the middle of the woods. I got myself to float before I hit the water, and get myself to the beach, and then all these elves popped out of the woods and took me to their creepy elf-king, who decided I should go to prison."

Ginny raised her eyebrows. "Wow. Someone had a rough day. Do you have any idea where you are, like, and how to get there from London?"

"You go through the creepy archway, and you fall from the sky, and – I thought I already explained this!"

"Yeah, you did, sorry. Do you have any idea how to get back?"

I shrugged. "I guess you could fly up into the clouds and see if there's a portal in the sky but I kind of doubt it."

"Me, too." Ginny's form flickered for a moment, and then she disappeared. When she came back, she said, "Everyone's dying to know what you said. Is it okay if I go now?"

"Yeah, go ahead. Bye, Gin."

"Bye, Mynee." Ginny disappeared completely, as did the Burrow, as my dream changed … not to a conversation, but to a memory.

I stood, peeking out from behind a tree in the Forbidden Forest. The chilly evening air was stinging my face and hands, but I didn't shiver. I was too .. not excited, exactly, but just anticipating the moment that I knew was about to come.

Ron stood behind the tree next to me, also peering out into the clearing, and Harry stood in between us.

"Are you sure you want to do this now?" I hissed frantically. "Shouldn't you just wait?"

Harry's expression became steely, and he gripped his wand more firmly than ever before. "Hermione, no one else is going to die for me. I forbid it! I have to kill him now."

A Death Eater, unrecognizable with a hood and mask covering his face, turned towards us slightly.

"Both of you, get back!" Harry breathed. Ron and I flattened ourselves against the trees, completely out of sight.

The Death Eater took a few more steps towards the trees where Harry stood, just in the shadows, almost visible. I couldn't breathe. If I told Harry to stay still and not curse anyone, I would be heard, but if I didn't, Harry was bound to do something rash and heroic.

I could see Harry slowly raise his wand as the Death Eater peered into the blackness. Oh, please, no!

I watched as the Death Eater stiffened and fell to the ground, Stupefied with a wordless spell.

Harry turned towards me for a moment, probably to get me to congratulate him on his magic – but I didn't give him a compliment or witty retort. My eyes bugged out as I strained to see what was going on beyond him, and I tried to silently make Harry shut up and stay stilll.

As far as I could tell, the rest of the Death Eaters were gathered around the body. "Who's there?" one called out. "Avada Kedavra!"

Time slowed down as I watched the jet of poisonous green light strike Harry. My best friend slowly fell to the ground limply. My terrified, unbelieving eyes met Ron's horrified gaze as someone levitated Harry's body out of the woods. This was impossible. Harry was … well, Harry. He couldn't have just been killed like that. He couldn't have been.

My only conscious thought was to stay hidden. I didn't move a muscle, but instead of listening to what was going on in the clearing, I heard Voldemort's scream of rage fade into the background. It was nothing compared to my reeling mind.

Harry Potter was dead.

**A/N: Thanks to my first reviewer, Arianna21! Please add your own if you have any feedback for me. I hope you enjoy the rest of the story!**


	3. Prison Cell

3. Prison Cell

The playful conversation starts  
Counter all your quick remarks like  
Passing notes in secrecy  
"Enchanted" by Taylor Swift

I sat up, sweat coating me, my day-old clothes clinging to me as though I'd just walked through a waterfall. "Harry!" I breathed.

I dangled my feet off the edge of the cot and doubled over, my head in my hands. I'd been having that nightmare for four years now – ever since the night it happened. I just couldn't seem to get over the past.

I couldn't get over it, not really. Losing Harry had left a huge hole in me. He had been my best friend for seven years – well, him and Ron. It was difficult to imagine Ron and I getting along anymore.

"Bad dream?" a voice asked sympathetically from just outside my cell door.

I sat bolt upright. Legolas stood there, holding a tray with a steaming bowl, some bread, and a cup on it. "Were you watching me sleep?" I demanded.

He laughed. "Only waiting for you to wake up. Here's some breakfast."

I could feel my cheeks flushing. He, of all people (no! Elves!) had seen me like that? I probably looked terrible. My hair probably looked reminiscent of Crookshanks right now, and my makeup must've smudged overnight – even the magical kind smears after 36 hours – making me look something like a zombie. "I'm – I'm not hungry," I mumbled.

"You have to eat," he reminded me, and unlocked the door. He placed the tray on the floor, closed the door, and locked it again.

I glared at him for a little longer before picking up the cup and sipping the cool water resentfully.

"How come you hate me so much all of a sudden?" he asked, sounding slightly playful.

"It's morning – the most miserable time of day. How come you're in such a good mood all of a sudden?" I grumped back.

"It's morning – the best time of day." He smirked at me. "Why were you thrashing about so much? What were you dreaming about? Who's this Harry?"

I gnawed on my bread – it was stale – for a moment, then answered, "I've got a lot of bad memories. Harry was my best friend all through Hogwarts – it's a school for witches and wizards. He died a few years ago." I took another angry bite of bread, as if it was the last Horcrux and I could only destroy it by eating it as angrily as possible.

Legolas got quiet. "I'm sorry. That explains your bad mood."

"You don't have to be sorry. It wasn't your fault. Trust me – I know exactly whose fault it was." I continued to maul my bread using my teeth.

"You don't have to talk about it."

I glanced up. "Good. I wasn't planning to – and I get kind of homicidial when the topic comes up."

There was a slightly awkward silence as I finished my loaf of bread, and moved on to sip the thin broth. It burned my tongue, but warmed my stomach.

"Where did you receive that bed?" Legolas asked curiously.

I was grateful to him for changing the subject. "I summoned it."

"From where?"

"Nowhere. I made it appear out of nothing."

He smiled and shook his head. "You really are a witch, aren't you?"

"I think so," I answered softly. "It's been hard for me to do magic here. Maybe it's just because this is an alternate dimension or something, but I kind of doubt it."

"You sound disappointed."

"I'm normally brilliant when it comes to magic. I don't know how I'll do my job if this continues," I confessed. Why was I telling him all of this? Did I care?

Legolas sat down, leaning against the wall that jutted out around the barred door of the cage. "What's your job?"

"I'm an Unspeakable. I work in the Ministry of Magic – basically, this massive organization whose main goal is to keep non-magical people from learning that wizards and witches exist. My job is in the Department of Mysteries, this section of the Ministry devoted to new magical research. I'm currently working on studying this stone archway with a tattered white curtain strung up inside it. Some people can hear voices from beyond the veil, but no one knows why. I was staying late yesterday to check out the archway on my own. I tried putting my hand through it. After a moment, I was falling … and you know the rest."

He looked fascinated. "What else do you know about this archway?"

I shrugged. "As far as I know, the Ministry of Magic has always been located in the same place, and the archway is supposedly the reason it's never moved. It's been there since wizards first appeared on Earth. People have disappeared into it, never to be seen again. I think that's what happened to me, and these people are probably never seen again because they don't know how to get back through.

"Nine years ago, some of my friends and I were fighting some Dark wizards near the portal. Sirius Black – Harry's godfather – was hit with a killing curse and fell through the curtain. Do you know anything about that?"

Legolas looked bewildered. "A killing curse? You're saying he died?"

Was that some kind of trick question? "Yes, killing means dead. Why?" I answered slowly.

"Around nine years ago, a man fell from the sky at the same place you did. He said his name was Sirius Black – but he was alive."

I clapped both hands over my mouth. Sirius was alive? How? What had happened? What was going on with this portal?

Legolas looked up at me. "I take it you weren't expecting to hear that."

I exhaled slowly. "You're right, I wasn't. It's just – Sirius, alive? Harry was so upset after it happened. It haunted him during the last two years of his life. Where's Sirius now?"

"I can't say," Legolas answered slowly. "He was taken prisoner for a short while, but he escaped, and we never saw or heard of him again. I think he found a way back. I'm not surprised. I talked to him for awhile as well, and he seemed like a shrewd enough man to find his way out of here."

I stood up and walked over to the cell door. "How long did he stay here?" I asked frantically. "Do you know how he escaped?"

"He was only here for a few weeks."

Now I was mad. "So he probably found some way back to London … but why didn't he go see Harry? Why didn't he tell us the truth? Why?"

"How should I know? I didn't know Sirius Black well enough to predict his reasons for every little thing he did!"

I scowled. "Please don't use valid arguments against me. I get very mad, very fast, when people do that. I remember one time when Ron ..." I broke off.

Legolas raised an eyebrow. "Ron?"

"My ex-boyfriend. The point is, I cursed him so he literally had two left feet. I refused to fix it for a week, and he tripped and stumbled every few seconds. It was hilarious!" I laughed just thinking about it.

I heard him laugh as well. "Two left feet? Is there anything magic can't do?"

"Create food out of nothing or bring back the dead."

"That's it? You can do literally anything else?"

"Yep."

"Can you make someone do whatever you want them to?"

"Yeah."

"Can you make things float and move around without touching them?"

"Uh-huh."

"Can you make yourself invisible?"

"Totally."

"Can you … can you dangle someone upside down by their ankle?"

"There's actually a spell for that. Levicorpus."

To my surprise, Legolas was suddenly dangling upside down!

I cursed to myself. Now my magic decided to work again? Seriously?

"WHAT DID YOU DO?" Legolas shouted frantically, his blond hair dangling all around him. Through the cell doors, all I could see of him was his head and shoulders. "PUT ME DOWN!"

I pulled my wand out. "Liberacorpus!" I yelled in a panic. I really hoped he didn't fly down into the chasm …

To my surprise, he managed to do a flip in midair and land on his feet. "Don't ever do that again," he said icily, but his eyes were laughing.

"I won't … but how did you do that, like, flip thing?"

Legolas shrugged. "I'm an elf. We train our whole lives to be warriors, and flexibility is one of those important traits."

"And keeping calm when you're dangling upside down by your ankle isn't?" I teased.

"It never really came up, believe it or not."

And then we both started laughing our heads off.

The guard was making his rounds through the winding prison when he came across a peculiar sight – the prince of Mirkwood laughing with … was that the woman that had been taken prisoner just the day before? The elves of Mirkwood had a tendency to befriend prisoners, but never had one of such high rank fraternized with such folk.

The guard turned around and exited the prison area quickly. He ran all the way to where Thranduil lounged gracefully on his throne.

The guard knelt before his king. "My lord."

Thranduil smiled slightly and stood. "Rise, guard. What tidings do you bring?"

The guard stood gratefully – he would not suffer Thranduil's wrath today. "Sir, I have just witnessed your son interacting with the prisoner that was taken yesterday."

Instead of becoming angry, Thranduil only looked amused. "Has he? I half expected such a thing. Legolas has a tendency to choose the wrong sort of folk to speak with. Do not trouble yourself with such matters yet. I wish to see how this little friendship plays out."

"My – my lord -"

"You are dismissed." Thranduil sat back down on his throne as the guard rushed away.

**A/N: Thanks to my second reviewer, Taboo22! Please add your own if there's something you'd like to tell me.**


	4. Invitation

4. Invitation

I thought I had you figured out  
Something's gone terribly wrong  
Come finish what you started  
"Haunted" by Taylor Swift

I stood just inside the cell, looking out of the bars. I'd been here for three more days, making this the fifth day since I'd fallen through the portal. I'd tried all sorts of magic to get out of this cell, over and over again, but I couldn't manage a strong enough enchantment to get through these iron bars. It was strange – my magic powers seemed to be slowly growing weaker and less predictable. The only thing I could repeatedly do was a Vanishing Spell every time I used the corner as a bathroom, thankfully. Otherwise the cell would've smelled like, well, crap.

More to the point, I hadn't spoken to anyone! Legolas had left a few minutes after the Levicorpus incident, and hadn't returned since. My meals had been delivered by the guard of the prison, who seemed to hold some sort of grudge against me. Neither Ginny nor anyone else from home had conracted me through a dream or any other way. I was getting sick of talking to myself and pacing around this tiny dirt cell.

I grasped the bars beside my face and pressed myself to the wrought iron. Was that a new voice? I could swear I heard someone. I listened more closely.

"Yes, her, what other new prisoners do we have here?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't know for sure, and I didn't want to get it wrong."

"Well, go get her! He needs to talk to her!"

"What about, sir?"

"That's none of your business. Fetch the woman!"

Were they talking about me? I certainly hoped so. I was dying to get out of this cell.

Soon enough, a female elf I'd never seen before unlocked my cell. "Do you have a name?" she asked me.

I was offended. "Of course! I'm Hermione Granger."

"Well, Hermione Granger, someone has requested an audience with you. Come with me."

She was definitely the second voice I'd heard, but who was the first?

"Well, since you asked so nicely," I replied and stepped out of the cell.

She then proceeded to tie my hands behind my back with a bit of rope. "Just a precaution," she assured me, the nasty gleam in her eyes telling me that she approved.

I was led down the thin path and to a wider, more used one that led directly to – I could hardly believe it – the platform where Thranduil sat on his throne. We never ran into the elf who was the first voice I'd heard.

I was brought directly before him. Legolas stood at his right hand, looking everywhere but at me. I tried to get his attention, but failed.

Thranduil stood up. "It's nice to see you again, Miss – I'm sorry, do you have a name?"

What was with these elves and questioning whether I had a name or not. "Yes, it's Hermione Granger."

He smiled. "A fine name for a fine lady. Do you wish to tell me why you came here yet?"

"I assure you, it was a complete accident," I answered as sweetly as possible when I wanted to strangle this guy. "I was merely lost."

He leaned forward and arched an eyebrow. "Lost? It is rare that a traveler in Mirkwood strays from the path. What was your errand here?"

"I – I didn't mean to enter Mirkwood at all. I remember walking through a completely different woods than this one. I passed under a small archway made by tree branches, and I was suddenly falling. I hit the ground on the beach beside the small lake, where I was found."

"Surely you must know of Mirkwood. What have you learned over the years?" he asked me suspiciosly.

"I don't know anything about this place," I answered, truthfully for once. "I was in a totally different place than this. I'd never heard of Mirkwood or Middle-earth before."

Thranduil stood and walked towards me. I stiffened, a bit intimidated by the fact that he was about two feet taller than me.

"Everyone has heard of Middle-earth at least," he hissed. "You lie."

I made myself stay calm. "I'm sorry, okay? I live in a place called Britain."

Thranduil now stood behind me. He bent over, his breath cold on my ear. "Britain, indeed? We had another visitor several years ago who claimed to come from Britain, and he too fell from the sky. Are there other people in this Britain of yours?"

I stopped myself from shivering. "Yes, loads. And if you've heard of the place from someone else, someone I don't even know, then don't you think it must be real?"

"I think what I wish, stupid girl. I do not take the suggestions of prisoners from a strange land. You need to be … taught some manners."

Was he implying what I thought he was implying?

The king continued to say softly, "Perhaps you could attend a party later tonight? You can get to know some other elves here, and maybe you'd meet someone you'd be more open-mouthed towards."

"A – a party sounds nice, but I don't have anything to wear." Actually, a party sounded like torture, and I didn't want to take off my jeans and top.

The king smiled. "Oh, clothing can be arranged. Someone fetch me a dress that will fit this woman." he called, and made his way back to sit down on his throne. "Now!'

One of the guards rushed away.

Thranduil now turned to Legolas, who had been watching the whole exchange with something like mutiny in his eyes.

"Legolas, do you have something to say? You look a bit ... bothered."

"No, father."

I tried not to snort. He sounded so much like Malfoy just there.

"Very well then. I must be going. Hermione Granger, wait here." He lowered his voice and said something to Legolas that I didn't catch. "I'll see you both later." And with that, he turned around and ascended the staircase that wound up behind this throne.

I breathed a sigh of relief. That guy was seriously creeping me out. I noticed that Legolas had a similar reaction.

I began to pace around a bit. When was that guard going to return? And why was I being invited to a party, for Merlin's sake?

Legolas finally spoke. "When the guard returns, she will take you to get a bath, and you will be prepared for the party."

"Finally! I'm filthy after that pathetic cell. I can practically feel the oil in my hair where it touches my face." I paused a moment, and turned to Legolas. "Why didn't you come back to my cell? I'm not mad, or pathetic or anything, but why?"

He stepped off the raised section where the throne stood. "I just ... didn't get around to it." He seemed to be choosing his words carefully.

"And why are you going all schizo on me?"

He gave me a confused look. "Schizo?"

"Schizophrenic. Split personality. Two different Legolas's. Why?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

I took a step forward. "Yes, you do! There's this stiff, formal guy that's around now, and when I first fell into this place, and there's the guy who actually talked to me three days ago, the one who seemed nice enough. What's going on?"

He shrugged. "My father has that sort of effect on me, I guess. When I was little, he got mad if I showed weakness, and it's caught on over the decades."

"Over the decades? Exactly how old are you?"

Legolas bit his lip. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-five. Now answer me!"

"One thousand, seven hundred, and fory-three."

I laughed. "And you don't look a day over twenty-eight!"

"The elves are blessed with immortality."

Suddenly, my disbelief turned to shock. "Like, total immortality? You can't die, no matter what?"

"Not exactly. We can still be killed, but we don't die from old age, and sicknesses have little effect on us. If an elf has mortal blood, she may choose to become mortal at any time, but will otherwise be immortal."

I was impressed. "That's pretty awesome." I was going to continue, but the guard reappeared behind me. I reluctantly turned to face her.

"Here is a dress," she said (obvious much?), handing me a silver, silky thing. "A few maids are drawing a bath for you. Come on - you need it." The expression of distaste on her face could have told me that much.

I followed her away from the throne, looking back at Legolas and waving awkwardly. He stood, stiff as a stone, and didn't respond.

"And you're done," the maid announced proudly.

I turned and looked at my reflection in the mirror. The dress, a pale silver, certainly flattered me. It had a wide neckline and sleeves with way too much fabric hanging down. The rest of it was fairly simple, with a thin belt of silver ribbon at my waist and a skirt that trailed on the floor behind me for at least three feet. I assumed that it was made for a taller elf. Still, it clung to me nicely. My hair had been washed and straightened (don't ask how), and had an elaborate braided ... thing holding half of it up, and strands of silver were woven into it. I was surprised to find that the elves used makeup, and I had a bit of pale pink lipstick on. Still, I didn't smile. I wasn't interested in an elvish party. I only wanted to be clean.

"You look beautiful," another assured me. "I wish I could attend the party. I've heard that there are some guests from Gondor attending! And then there's the prince..." She trailed off dreamily.

"The prince?" I asked.

"You know - Legolas! I would kill to be in your place right now. I hear he's to be your escort at the ball!"

I tried not to strangle something. "Escort? Ball? I thought I could just sit in a corner and feel awkward through the whole thing!"

The third maid gasped. "Do you really think we would make you this beautiful just to sit? Oh, no - you're going to be dancing with Legolas all night long! You're the luckiest lady in Mirkwood."

I could feel myself blushing. "I have to dance with him all night? This is a nightmare ... I can't dance at all!"

"Can't dance. You're joking, right? Everyone can dance!"

"Not where I come from, we can't - at least, not ballroom dancing. Honestly, I've only ever been to one ball, and I was only fourteen, so I don't think it counts."

One of the other maids rolled her eyes. "Just relax. Legolas will help you through it - he's such a gentleman - well, you know, elf."

I was still groaning in anticipation when someone knocked at the door, and it swung open. It was the same guard who had led me here.

"Well, you smell better," she said by way of greeting. "Let's go."

On the way there, I couldn't help but ask, "What do you know about the ball?"

She shrugged. "Not much. I've never been to one. I hear this one's in honor of some special guests from Gondor - possibly the king himself. You're going to be attending with Legolas, since he's the only elf you've really met. Hopefully you'll have fun."

I laughed. "Fun? I'm completely dreading it. As soon as I saw that there were three maids getting me ready, I knew this would be a disaster."

"Are you a talented dancer?"

"Hardly."

"You might experience quite the disaster, then."

I groaned, then leaned forward a bit. There was an archway in the wall before us, and I heard the most beautifull music playing softly. I got a glimpse of one long table with chairs placed all around it, and it was about halfway filled with guests.

"Is it too late to back out now?"

The guard laughed humorlessly. "And defy a direct order from the king? You might be hanged."

I raised my eyebrows. "Wish me luck, then." And, being careful not to walk all over my beautiful dress, I stepped right in.

**A/N: Thanks again to my reviewers, Taboo22, Terry, and alexma. Keep giving me feedback! Love you all!**


	5. Celebrations

5. Celebrations

_There I was again tonight_

_Forcing laughter, faking smiles_

_Same old tired, lonely place_

"Enchanted" by Taylor Swift

I looked around the room nervously. The music was playing out of seemingly nowhere. I supposed that elves had their own sorts of magic. I didn't recognize anyone at the table, save for Thranduil at the head and Legolas on his right side. I wasn't sure where, exactly, to sit, so I began to slowly walk over to Legolas. I was supposed to be here as his guest, after all.

I reached Legolas's chair and tapped him lightly on the shoulder. "What do I do now?" I asked softly.

He smiled slightly. "Sit down. You've been placed beside me."

I could feel myself blushing a little, but I didn't say anything. I pulled the chair out and struggled to both sit and not trip myself on the train of my dress. It took a moment, but eventually I was sitting, and the extra fabric was pooled at my feet.

The man sitting at Thranduil's left side grinned at Legolas. "So you've finally found yourself a woman, I take it?"

Legolas – I could barely believe it – turned a bit pink. "No! She's a … guest here as well, and I've just been assigned to watch over her for the time being."

I'll admit, I was a little disappointed when he said that – but I wasn't ready to be called "his woman" by any stretch of the imagination.

The man – and I could see he was a man, judging by the lack of pointed ears – sighed. "The two of you would make a nice couple, I can tell already."

The woman sitting beside him shot him a look – no, wait, she was an elf. These different species were way too confusing for me! And I'd thought the wizarding world was confusing. "Don't tease him! You need to get out of that habit."

"My apologies, Arwen. I didn't mean to offend _you _by making fun of _Legolas._"

She glared at him again. "Enough with your attitude! I hoped you would've learned better by now – those are hardly manners for a king."

"But I am a king," he reminded her. "I can do whatever I want." He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

Legolas looked at me awkwardly. "Hermione, this is Aragorn –" he motioned to the man "-and Arwen." He motioned towards the elf-woman. "They're some old friends of mine, and the king and queen of Gondor."

"Gondor?" I asked, curious. "Where's that?"

Aragorn looked a little ticked off at that. "Legolas, has your lady friend here truly never heard of Gondor?"

"I've only been here for five days!" I protested. "I certainly haven't memorized the place's geography!"

He looked at me. "Only five days? But you don't know a thing about Gondor?"

"You can blame Legolas for that. He's the only elf here I've really talked to, and he never once mentioned Gondor."

Aragorn turned to glare at Legolas. "You mean you never-" The two of them began quite the argument on the importance of Gondor.

Arwen smiled at me. "Ignore them. Aragorn and Legolas are old friends, and they bicker almost every time they meet. I didn't catch your name..."

"Hermione Granger," I said, glad to have met someone who seemed sane enough, "and you're Arwen, right?"

"Yes, that would be me."

"So, what _is _Gondor?" I asked.

"It's a land quite far from here. It consists mainly of small farming and mountain villages, and the main city of Minas Tirith. It's built into the side of a mountain, and has withstood many wars throughout the years."

"Is it another kingdom of elves?"

Arwen laughed. "No, Gondor is populated mainly by Men, although elves do visit us from time to time, as do dwarves and wizards, and we have a knight who is also a hobbit."

"What's a hobbit?"

"That's quite a long story."

"If Gondor is a kingdom of men, then why do you have ears like the elves?"

"I used to be an elf – the daughter of Elrond, and future queen of Rivendell, if my father were to pass on. I fell in love with Aragorn, and because I am one-quarter mortal, I had the choice to become a mortal myself, and I did so."

I was astonished. "You gave up immortality for him?" Aragorn and Legolas were still bickering on the importance of Gondor.

Smiling, Arwen answered, "I haven't regretted it once."

"That's got to be about the most romantic thing I've ever heard."

"What romantic experience do you have?"

I looked down. "Back where I come from, there was a guy who I really liked when we were teenagers, but then our best friend died, and … he changed. I broke up with him after he lost it one day, and we haven't spoken since."

"If this was only when you were a teenager, shouldn't you have moved on by now?"

I shrugged. "I'm only twenty-five. Maybe I should've moved on, but I definitely don't miss him any more. I'm just looking for the right guy, I guess."

"And what about Legolas?"

I could feel myself blushing again. "He's nice enough, but I've only known him for five days, and he seems to have a split personality."

"But are you interested in him at all?"

"I, um ..." My eyes darted around, looking for a distraction. "Oh, good, they're bringing out the food!"

Several servants placed trays of every food imaginable on the tables. Arwen shot me a knowing look, but didn't say anything.

The meal was wonderful. It's hard to remember anything in particular, but everything tasted fresh and hot, or cold, depending on the dish. Throughout the meal, various dinner guests made toast to this and that, but none of it made much sense to me. I didn't drink any wine, since I didn't much feel like being drunk when the dancing part came around – I didn't want to be any worse than I already was.

Finally, the final course was taken away, and the tables were cleared. Everyone was asked to stand. Legolas held on to my elbow and led me over towards the wall with the rest of the guests.

"What happens next?" I asked him nervously.

He smiled a little. "Next, we get to dance."

I groaned. "Do we have to?"

"If you don't want to, I suppose we could leave, but where would we go?"

No way. Could I seriously get out of ballroom dancing that easily? "You could teach me how to shoot a bow and arrow," I suggested randomly. I only thought of it because when I'd first arrived, I'd found the warriors with bows pointed at me pretty intimidating. If I wasn't going to have my magic to defend myself, I'd need some other kind of weapon.

He raised his eyebrows. "Shoot a bow? In that?"

"I could change," I protested. "Just get me out of dancing for several hours. Please?"

He looked like he was trying not to laugh. "All right, but you have to dance with me for one song."

I made a pouty face. "Do I have to?"

"Yes."

I crossed my arms. "Fine. One song – then you're getting me out of here."

"Most ladies I've met are more interested in vying for my attention than making me teach them to shoot," he observed.

I smirked. "Then I guess I'm just special."

I looked back towards the center of the room. Servants had just finished clearing away the tables and chairs, and a small group of elves had begun to sing. I didn't recognize the language, but it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard in my life.

"Is this the part where you force me to dance?" I murmured.

"Yes." Legolas led me out into the center of the room, where a few couples had already begun to spin. "Okay, you need to relax."

"What are you talking about? I'm relaxed."

"No, you're stiffer than anyone else here. Relax."

I tried to relax my posture somewhat. "Better?"

"Yes." He took a step closer and placed his hands on my hips. I could feel little jolts of electricity where he touched me. "Put your hands on my shoulders."

I did so, all of my senses hyper-aware of just how close this extremely attractive elf was. "Please don't make me move my feet. I'll probably trip over this train.

He laughed softly. "It's all right. You get used to it after a bit."

"I have to get used to falling over every time I move?"

"Just trust me."

So I did trust him. After a minute or so, I noticed that we were slowly spinning in circles.

"How are you doing this?" I asked. "You know, not letting me trip?"

"I'm not sure. I suppose I've had quite a lot of practice."

I almost laughed. How old had he said he was? One thousand seven hundred something. I just continued to feel him next to me, until the music finally stopped.

"The song's over," I said, almost too excitedly. "Can we get out of here now?"

Legolas sighed. "Fine, that was our deal."

I grinned. "Thank you so much!"

We walked off the dance floor and lingered by the door a moment. When no one was looking, Legolas slipped out, and I followed.

"Where are we supposed to get new clothes?" I asked impatiently. "This dress is driving me insane."

"Relax!" he insisted. "I know what I'm doing. I live here, remember?"

"Yes, yes, okay," I agreed impatiently, "but new clothes?"

He led me down a winding pathway that branched off quite a bit, but he knew exactly where he was going. We finally reached a room filled with spare outfits not unlike the ones that I'd seen the guards wearing.

"Are any of these actually going to fit me?" I asked.

"I'm sure we can find something." Legolas disappeared into the green and brown piles for a minute before he returned with a small stack of clothing. "Put this on."

"Where?" I asked. I certainly hoped these elves didn't have a custom of changing clothes in front of each other, because I was not okay with that.

"Just go behind a few racks of clothes over there, I won't look."

For some reason, I trusted him, and within a few minutes, I was wearing a deep green tunic, a coppery belt shaped like a bunch of leaves hooked together, brown leggings, and a brown long sleeved shirt.

"What shoes am I supposed to wear?" I asked, only emerging when I was sure he was fully dressed.

Legolas tossed me a pair of knee-high leather boots. "These should fit." I slipped them on.

He had changed out of his fancy robe thing he'd worn for the party and into an outfit similar to mine, only the colors were reversed, and he had slung a bow and quiver over his back.

"Do I get any weapons to practice on?" I asked.

"Here." He handed me a shorter bow and a quiver of arrows that were hanging up on the wall. I slipped the quiver on easily enough, but I couldn't figure out how to 'wear' the bow.

Legolas began to laugh watching me. "Just carry the bow," he managed. "It's easier."

I glared at him, which only made him laugh harder.

"Just take me somewhere we can practice," I huffed.

Legolas led me outside – finally – to a small shooting range, with targets set up every ten feet or so.

"So, how do I do this?" I asked.

"Like this." Lightning-fast, Legolas pulled his bow off his back and strung an arrow into it. He let go half a second later, and it zoomed straight into the center of the target.

I was kind of shocked. "How do you get that good?"

"Lots and lots of practice, plus the occasional battle now and then. During the War of the Ring, I must've killed two hundred orcs, but not during the Battle of Helm's Deep … no, I had to lose to Gimli ..."

Needless to say, all of that sounded like gibberish to me. "How do I do this?" I repeated.

Legolas snapped out of his memory. "First, you need to hold the bow right – like this." He showed me, more slowly this time, how to grasp the bow. I must've been doing it right, so he said, "Now take an arrow and try to line it up with the center of the bow. Have the feathered end touching the string, and use the notch to keep it lined up. Now pull back … yes, like that … until the feathers are almost touching your cheek. Aim it at the target and let go with your back hand."

I did so, and the arrow flew about halfway to the target before it swooped sadly to the ground.

"It's okay – try again." I was surprised Legolas wasn't laughing at me, but then again, he was schizo. I did the same thing, and the arrow got a little closer, but not much. The third and fourth tries were equally fruitless.

Legolas stepped forward so he was right behind me. To my surprise, he reached out and grabbed the bow – right over my fingers. "Hold on tight. Then line up the arrow." I slid the string into the little notch. "And pull back." He used his other hand to guide mine into pulling the arrow back. The string stretched much farther than I'd thought it could. Then he let go, and the arrow flew to the second ring out from the center of the target. It stuck there, quivering. Legolas didn't move, and I turned my head back to look at him. He was smiling. "Good. Now let's try it again."

I pulled another arrow out and lined it up, and he helped me pull it back again. When I let go, it flew a little closer to the center.

Legolas stepped away after that, but I tried it on my own. I managed to pull the string back about as far as before, and let go. I held my breath as I watched the arrow's flight … right to the center of the target.

"Yes!" I squealed. "I did it! I can shoot!" I looked back at Legolas, who was grinning.

"Not bad, for a beginner," he said, "but can you do it more than once?"

We must've been out there for hours until I finally hit the center of the target again. By that time, it was nearly midnight, so Legolas took me back to my cell – and I fell asleep, exhausted, and didn't dream a bit.

**A/N: Thanks to my reviewers: Taboo22, alexma, Glitter Poisoned My Blood, Christina, and Katarin Kishika. Please let me know if you have any ideas for the story; I'm having a bit of writer's block on Chapter 7. (Yes, that means Chapter 6 is already done.) Or just say whatever - I'm not picky. 3**


	6. So Close

6. So Close

_And you stood there in front of me_

_Just close enough to touch_

_Close enough to hope you couldn't see what I was thinking, love_

"Sparks Fly" by Taylor Swift

The next morning, I was moved from my prison cell into a guest room.

I certainly wasn't expecting the change, but then again, nothing expected seemed to happen here. The only thing that bothered me was that, even though I'd gotten my wand back, I couldn't do any magic at all – not even a simple color-change or leviatation spell. I was dying to know what was going on with that – but what was there to know? I was the only witch or wizard here. No one could help me.

Still, my room was beautiful. It was on the second or third level of the palace, and one wall was almost entirely made up of a large window overlooking a courtyard. The other walls were a pale grey marble, and the floor was carpeted with some sort of soft furs. I had a large bed with more blankets than I needed, and a closet stocked with clothes that all seemed to fit me perfectly. I even had my own bathroom, but I had to call for a maid whenever I wanted to take a bath.

I spent the majority of the next day practicing shooting with Legolas. He was a great teacher, and I rarely hit outside the center circles of the targets anymore. He was easy to talk to, as well, but I always tried to avoid talking about Harry and Ron. It was just too painful. He seemed to avoid all of my questions about his past girlfriends as well.

Over the next couple weeks, living in Mirkwood got easier and easier. I got used to wearing the tunics for everyday wear, but wasn't invited to any other parties – thankfuly. The food was heavenly, always a good sign. Thranduil didn't bother me again, but I was pretty sure he didn't believe me about how I'd gotten to Mirkwood.

Two weeks after the night of the party, nineteen days since I'd fallen into this place, Legolas said that he was going to another ball that night.

"And why, exactly, does that concern me?" I asked coyly.

Legolas just smiled. "I was hoping you'd show up and make it a bit more tolerable."

I sighed. "I suppose … but you owe me, big-time. You got that?"

He nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

I laughed and headed back to my chambers to get ready, with the help of a maid.

"So you're going with Legolas again?"

"Yes," I sighed, "we've been over this."

The maid sighed. "You are the single luckiest girl in all of Mirkwood."

"We've been over that as well."

"He's just so perfect – and he's the prince. I don't know how you aren't talking about him constantly."

I shrugged. "Can I look in the mirror now?"

"Yes, all right!"

I turned around and looked into the polished silver. Tonight I wore a pale rose gown, with gold trimmings around the neckline and waist, and a floral pattern in gold that thickened as it reached my ankles. It had a bit of a train, but not much, and it was strapless. My hair had been tamed, but my curls still tumbled down my shoulders, and I wore the same pale pink lipstick.

"Do you think he'll like it?" I asked suddenly.

The maid looked up from my bed, which she had been straightening. "Excuse me?"

"Legolas. Do you think he'll like how I look?"

The maid gasped. "You _do _fancy him then!"

"I said nothing of the sort. Do you think he'll like it?"

"Oh, of course he will. You look beautiful!"

I sighed. "Thank you. Now I'm ready."

Just in time, a knock resounded on the door.

The maid squealed. "Have a nice time!"

I opened the door. Legolas stood there this time, and he seemed a bit shocked at first. "You – you look nice," he greeted me.

"You look nice as well," I answered with a smile. "Let's go get this over with."

We walked a little ways to where the ball was to be held – this time, in a bigger ballroom. Since Aragorn and Arwen were leaving the next day, the celebration was in honor of them.

We finally reached the doors. Legolas took my hand – a gesture that had happened so often over the past two weeks that it seemed natural now – and we walked in.

The room was decorated in flowers and hanging silks, and a panoramic window in one wall showed off the setting sun. There were several small tables set around the edge of the room that seated four each, and in the center was a large open space, presumably for dancing.

Nearly everyone was sitting down already, and Legolas led me to two open seats – at the same table as Aragorn and Arwen, of course.

"I haven't seen you two much at all," Aragorn commented as we sat down. "Where've you been?"

"I've been teaching her how to shoot a bow, and a few other useful fighting skills," Legolas explained.

"Oh, have you?" Arwen cut in. "That's hardly proper behavior for a lady."

"Good thing I'm not one, then," I retaliated jokingly.

"Legolas, I know the two of you are practicing fighting, but that must be common courting practice here, right?" Aragorn teased.

"Of course not, don't be ridiculous," Legolas said, somehow keeping a straight face. "She just wants a respectable skill in the most honorable weapon possible."

Aragorn snorted. "A bow is an honorable weapon? Please. A sword, on the other hand..." The two of them began to bicker about the proper way to kill something called orcs.

Arwen smiled at her husband. "It doesn't matter how old he is – he can act like such a child," she said fondly.

I rolled my eyes. "Who cares what weapon you use, as long as you're on the right side in the war?"

"Exactly! So many times they've fought together, and they still have to defend their weapon of choice?"

"Honestly, I've always preferred bows, since they can be used for both ranged and melee attacks, but when you're up close with the enemy, you definitely want to use a sword."

"I don't see the point in a bow and arrow. Why learn to aim and fire it and hit the right spot when you can just use a sword to cut your enemies in half?"

"With a bow and arrow, you can pick off parts of the army from quite a distance, making it easier for the men with swords to do their slicing," I pointed out.

"Oh, yes, but you run out of arrows after a short while. If you take proper care of a sword, it'll last for years!"

"Legolas keeps two knives with him as well in case he can't use his bow."

"Oh, well Aragorn only needs to carry one weapon."

I raised my eyebrows. "So that's all he has? Sounds rather foolish – doesn't he have a backup, in case another swordfighter twists his sword out of his hands?"

"Are you suggesting that there's a better swordfighter than Aragorn?"

"It's always possible."

Now Arwen looked a little bit mad. "No! It is not possible. Not even your precious Legolas could disarm him."

"Oh, you really think so? Legolas would just shoot the sword out of Aragorn's hand before he was close enough to start waving his sword around."

"Aragorn would cut the arrow in half before it hit him."

"Could he cut five arrows in half at once? I've seen Legolas shoot that many before."

"Of course he could – he's the best swordfighter there is in Middle-earth!"

"What about when his back was turned? An arrow could find a chink in Aragorn's armor before he knew he was being shot!"

"Aragorn would sense that someone was behind him!"

"Have you heard how silently elves can walk if they want to?"

"Have you tried to outsmart a Ranger of the North before?"

"Why would I? Rangers can't possibly have better skills than the elves do."

Arwen crossed her arms. "I've had experience with both groups, and the Rangers are far superior in every way."

"You clearly haven't seen Legolas shoot."

Just then, Arwen and I both realized that Legolas and Aragorn were watching us, trying not to laugh.

"It's nice to know you think I'm such a talented fighter," Legolas said to me with a smirk.

"I was only defending your fighting skills, not you yourself."

"Sure you were. Oh look – here comes the food."

That night's meal was several courses long again. I tried a bit of everything, but still refrained from the wine. I wasn't much of a drinker, and I had a feeling that if I was drunk, I'd say some pretty stupid things to Legolas.

Finally, the meal was over. (Aragorn and Arwen had refused to shut up about Legolas and I throughout the whole hour.)

"Do you want to dance?" Legolas asked me.

I shrugged. "Do I have a choice?"

"I only brought you here so I'd have someone to dance with, so no. Come on." Legolas took my hand and led me out to the center of the floor. Reluctantly, I let him.

The music started up, and Legolas put his arms around my waist again. I placed my arms around his neck, and we joined in with the vague spinning motion that seemed to be appropriate for this particular song.

"This isn't the only dance there is," Legolas said, about halfway through.

I looked up at him in surprise. "And you know all of them?"

"Yes, and we're not leaving after just one song tonight."

Was he saying what I thought he was saying? "No way am I learning to dance."

He smiled. "Oh, yes, you are."

"What if I refuse?"

"I have ways of making people agree with me."

"What sort of ways?"

"Refuse to dance, and you'll find out soon enough."

"Was that a threat?"

"Only if you want it to be."

Was he flirting with me? "I'll keep dancing with you."

Legolas smiled at me. "Excellent."

When the song ended, Legolas let go of my waist, leaving me slightly disappointed, but I stepped away from him a bit.

A more lively tune began to play.

"What do I have to learn for this one?" I asked.

"Oh, it's fairly simple." He took both of my hands in his. "You just step forward, then to the right, then backward, then to the left." He led me in doing so.

"This isn't so bad," I admitted grudgingly.

"You haven't gotten to the second half yet."

I raised my eyebrows. "What's the second half?"

"Wait until we get there, and you'll see."

I stepped on his toe purposely.

"What was that for?"

"For being so cryptic about everything! Can't you just tell me how I have to dance?"

"Oh, no. I'd prefer to show you."

I scowled, and he grinned.

The music changed, getting even livelier. Legolas led me around in a lot of complicated spinning motions, and a twirl or two. It wasn't terrible, and he was certainly a good dancer.

The last twirl of the dance ended with our faces almost touching. I was surprised by the sudden desire to kiss him. I was sure that maybe he was thinking about it too, but I stepped away before either of us could do anything. After what Ron had done to me … I wasn't ready to fall in love with anyone else yet.

But I was afraid that I already had.

**A/N: Another thanks to all my lovely reviewers: Taboo22, Glitter Poisoned My Blood (love the username), Guest (I thought it was worth mentioning), crafter43, and Terry - especially crafter43 and Glitter Poisoned My Blood, for giving me some new ideas to keep this fic rolling. I can't wait to publish Chapter 7! ;) Love you all!**


	7. Time To Go

7. Time To Go All I knew This morning when I woke Is I know something now, know something now I didn't before "Everything Has Changed" by Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran I sat up in bed. The morning light flitted through the tree branches visible through my window, and I could hear birds singing cheerily. I didn't want to get up. I just wanted to roll over and fall back asleep – not an unfamiliar feeling. Still, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. "You're up – finally! I've got a bath ready. Do you have any idea how late you were out last night?" I blinked at the maid peeking out of my bathroom. "No, and I honestly don't care. Now would you please leave? I'd like to take my bath." "You didn't get back until three in the morning! I was waiting up for hours. Do you have any idea how exhausting it is to simply sit and try not to fall asleep?" I glared at her. "Leave." "Why were you out so late, anyway? And with Legolas, too …" "I refuse to react to your innuendo. Get out." "Oh, so something did happen? Tell me!" "Nothing happened! We were just dancing." The maid raised her eyebrows suggestively. "Just dancing?" I stood and walked over to the door, and pulled it open. "Out. Now." She smirked one last time as she flounced out the door. I slammed it shut behind her. What was with the maids here? They all seemed to have a massive crush on Legolas, and a morbid fascination with me – just because he was teaching me archery and we'd gone to a couple of dinner/dance things together. I fumed the whole way through bathing and getting dressed, and I was pinning my hair up when there was a knock on my door. "Come in," I called, mostly calmed down by now. The door was opened by the same maid as before. "Are you coming down to breakfast or not? You'll miss seeing off the special guests if you wait much longer." Aragorn and Arwen! They were leaving today; I'd nearly forgotten. "Of course, I'm coming now." While the two of us headed through the maze of halls and paths, I barely managed to ignore the maid's inquiries about Legolas and the ball - but I survived long enough to make it to the hall where breakfast was served. I sat down beside Legolas. Across from him sat Aragorn and Arwen. "Good morning, Hermione," Arwen greeted me between delicate bites of an omelet. How did she manage to eat and still look elegant? "Hi." I piled some bread and fruit onto my plate. "I'm going to miss seeing you." Arwen looked at me strangely. "Why do you say that?" "Well, my home isn't anywhere near here, and I haven't exactly made a boatload of friends. It was nice talking with you." "Oh!" Arwen looked a little surprised. "It's been nice talking to you, too. It's hard, being queen, sometimes. Everyone in Minas Tirith sees me as above them, or a means to rise to the top. I don't have a lot of friends, either." "Really?" I asked, surprised. "I would think that you'd have a bunch of ladies who all fawn over you or something." "Yeah, I do ... and it's incredibly annoying, let me tell you. Good thing I have Aragorn here to keep me sane." "Good thing," I agreed. After a pause and a bite of apple, I added, "What's it like where you live?" "Gondor? Oh, it's lovely. We live in the main city, Minas Tirith. It's built right into the side of the mountain, out of pure white stone. There are seven levels to it, and we live right at the top. It's ... well, you'd have to see it." "I wish I could," I mused. "It sounds amazing." Arwen looked at me in surprise. "Why can't you see it?" "I don't know ... I mean, I don't know if it's possible for me to get back home, but I have to try, you know? And if there's some sort of portal, it must be around here, right?" I had to find a way to get home, and, come to think of it, to get my magic back. What had happened to it? She smiled deviously and whispered something in Aragorn's ear. He looked at her in surprise. "Really? Are you sure?" he asked skeptically. "Come on!" she wheedled. "It would be fun!" "I know, but - would that really work?" I looked over at Legolas. "What are they talking about?" "I think they want us to travel to Minas Tirith with them." "What? But they barely know me!" "I said I think ... that might not be what actually happened." But then Aragorn grinned. "Yes, it is. So, do you two want to come visit?" "Yes!" I said without thinking. "I want to see more of this world." Legolas sighed. "I don't know. This place is my home, and your invitation is rather sudden - after all, you're leaving today." All three of us looked at him with pleading eyes. "You're immortal!" Arwen reminded him. "You can stay here forever! Just please come visit." Legolas glared at us. "Fine, I'll go. But I am not staying for a long time." I sighed in relief. "Thank you so much! This is going to be amazing, I can already tell." Arwen and Aragorn were both grinning as well. Legolas leaned forward and rested his forehead on the table. "What am I getting myself into?" he groaned. Thranduil lounged languidly on his throne. Again. He didn't have anywhere else to go, and didn't care anyway. He liked his throne. It made him feel even more kingly than he was – which was a very difficult feat to accomplish, in his opinion. An elf walked up to the foot of the throne and bowed low to the ground. "My lord, I bring news." Thranduil raised an eyebrow. "Stand and speak." The elf stood again, but shifted awkwardly from foot to foot and kept his eyes averted. "Your son was overheard talking with the two visitors and his … guest … at breakfast this morning. He seems to have grudgingly agreed to travel to the city of Minas Tirith with those three companions." Thranduil sighed. "Do you expect me to be interested in tracking my son's every move? Because I can assure you, that is certainly not the case." "My lord, I meant no disrespect. I was only concerned because the prince rarely travels from Mirkwood, and I thought you should know about his planned departure." "He intends to leave today, then?" Thranduil confirmed. "As far as I know, yes." Thranduil nodded arrogantly. "You are dismissed. Return to your duties." The elf bowed quickly and stiffly exited. Thranduil thought for a moment. If his son planned to leave with that infernally incompetent mortal woman, then perhaps she did not intend to return to her people as soon as he had hoped. This would require some sort of intervention – after all, he did not want Legolas to become too attached to a woman whose short years would soon expire. But soon enough, there was another distraction. A group of three guards were dragging a man with obnoxiously red hair to Thranduil's throne. "What is the meaning of this?" Thranduil demanded. "A second inconsequential disturbance?" "This man was found wandering the woods aimlessly," reported the leader of the three. "He claimed to be looking for someone called Hermione Granger. We secured him and brought him here." Hermione Granger … wasn't that the name of the mysterious woman that Legolas was spending so much time with? "Does he have a name?" The man raised his head. "Yes, I do, and it happens to be Ron Weasley." I gathered the last of my things – two extra outfits, some soap, and a roll of blankets – and shoved them into my sack, and slung my bow and quiver rather awkwardly onto my back, rushing out the door. It was quite a last-minute affair, this whole "let's-go-visit-Gondor" thing. I made my way through the maze of hallways and paths that I'd gotten to know so well, until I was standing right by the front door. Aragorn, Arwen, and Legolas were already waiting there, of course. "I'm sorry I took so long," I huffed, a bit tired from my run down there. "We aren't late, are we?" Aragorn laughed. "We're right on time. Stop worrying so much." I smiled a little at my own stupidity. "Right. Stop worrying." "If anything, I'm the one who should be worried," added Legolas. "I didn't want to come on this last-second trip in the first place." "Oh, you'll be fine," I reassured him, touching his arm. "You're just visiting your friends." He softened a little. "I know. I'm just not anticipating the journey very much, do you know what I mean?" "No!" I insisted. "This is going to be fun!" And with that, the four of us headed out to get on our horses and ride off into the tangled green depths of Mirkwood. 


End file.
